Hydraulic indicator for a bucket



E. c CARLSON 3,418,966

HYDRAULIC INDICATOR FOR A BUCKET Filed March 7, 1967 INVENTOR ERNEST C. CARLSON ATT'Y United States Patent 3,418,966 HYDRAULIC INDICATOR FOR A BUCKET Ernest C. Carlson, Hinsdale, Ill., assignor to International Harvester Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 621,196 4 Claims. (Cl. 116-124) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bucket position indicator having a liquid-filled bulb or diaphragm mounted between the backside of the bucket and the top of the boom arm of a material loader, and a transparent indicator device mounted in easy view of the loader operator, with a flexible tube connecting the bulb andindicator device; so that as the angle between the boom arm and the bucket changes, the fluid level in the indicator device will change thus providing instantaneous and simple indication of the bucket position.

Background of the invention This invention relates to a device for indicating the position of a bucket which is mounted on a loader or the like, and more particularly to a hydraulic mechanism including a bulb or diaphragm, a flexible tube and an hidicator so arranged and connected that any angular difference between the loader boom arm and the bucket will be translated into indication of the bucket position.

It has been common in the present day use of loaders to provide a device for indicating the loader bucket position, and thus relieve the operator of the necessity of constantly looking out over the front of the loader and thereby dividing his attention between the control levers and the bucket. However, these indicating devices have generally been composed of bellcranks, rods, levers, springs, cables, and other mechanical devices which are subject to extreme wear and abrasion. Also because of the mechanical connections, the indicator is usually located well to one side or forward of the operator where it is not conducive to good and concurrent viewing when operating the loader.

Summary of the invention By utilizing an indicating device as discussed hereinabove, namely, a. hydraulic mechanism which is operated by the changing of the angular relation between the boom arm and the loader bucket backside, an accurate yet simple and inexpensive indicator is provided. This bydraulic indicator also overcomes the objections encountered with the prior art devices in that it will now be possible to eliminate all of the mechanical linkage previously used, plus the actual indicator may be placed in a number of different locations to best suit the operator of the loader and thereby provide easy viewing.

Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide an indicating mechanism for a tractor loader or the like which is hydraulically operated, includes few wearing parts, and may be best positioned on the loader to supply bucket information to the operator without constant watching of the actual bucket placement, so as to free the operators attention for manipulating the various control levers.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a side elevation showing the invention mounted an the tractor loader, with the loader boom in its lowered position and the bucket level on the ground; with an intermediate boom position shown in phantom;

3,418,966 Patented Dec. 31, 1968 "ice FIGURE 2 is a top view of the tractor loader shown in FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detail of one embodiment of the hydraulic indicator.

Description of the preferred embodiment While an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and will be described in detail herein, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms and it should be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 indicates a tractor as is well known in the art, having a loader 11 attached thereto. The tractor 10 includes an operators station 12 having a seat 13, a steeringwheel 14 and control levers 15 located as is well known.

The loader 11 is pivotally attached to tractor 10 as at pivot point 16 and further includes boom arm 17 and bucket 18, which bucket is pivotally attached to the boom arm 17 as at pivot point 19. A hydraulic ram or actuator 20 is pivotally connected to the tractor as at 21 and pivotally connected to the boom arm 17 as at 22. This ram 20 provides the lifting and lowering movement to the loader arm 17 and bucket 18. Another hydraulic ram or actuator 23 is pivotally connected to the boom arm 17 as at 24 and is pivotally connected to the bucket 18 as at 25. Rams 20 and 23 are actuated by control levers 15 as is well known in the art. Actuation of ram 23 will cause movement of bucket 18 relative to boom arm 17 and thus change the angular relation between the arm 17 and the bucket 18, as well as provide control of the bucket position relative to the ground.

The foregoing description illustrates a tractor loader as is well known in the prior art and no further description is deemed necessary.

Referring now to the novel portion of this disclosure, FIGURE 3 itlustrates an indicating device generally shown at 30, which device includes a hydraulic reservoir means or bulb 31, an indicator 32 and hydraulic connecting means 33, which connecting means or tube 33 hydraulically interconnects bulb 31 and indicator 32.

The indicating device 30 is placed on the loader 11 as best shown in FIGURE 1, with bulb 31 between boom arm 17'and bucket 18, tube 33 positioned along boom arm 17 and indicator 32 affixed to tractor 10 in a position to provide easy viewing from the operators station. The bulb 31 may of course be positioned in other positions which will still indicate a boom arm and bucket relationship. It is of course necessary that tube 33 include flexible portions thereon to allow for pivotal movement as at pivot points 16 and 19. Further, clips 34 may be used to hold the indicating device in place as would be obvious to one skilled in the art.

In operation, loader bucket 18 rotates about pivot point 19 on boom arm 17. A scissor action occurs between the backside of the bucket 18 and the top side of the boom arm 17 when the operator actuates rams 20 and 23 and the angle between the boom arm 17 and bucket 18, at 19, changes. However, this angle is always constant when the bucket 18 is level on the ground. Thus, when flexible bulb or diaphragm 31 is set into this scissor action, it will expand or be compressed depending on the angle. When bulb 31 is compressed, fluid therein will be displaced. This fluid will travel through connecting means 33 and into indicator 32. Accordingly, by utilizing a transparent tube having predetermined positioned indicia 35 marked thereon, for indicator 32, the fluid level 36 will rise or fall depending on the scissor action on bulb 31;

and since the indicator 32 is Within easy visibility of the operator, the operator will always be aware of the bucket position when the boom arm is at a given position; for example, lowered to the ground.

The use of this hydraulic or liquid system will thus provide positive indication, and will permit easy translation from the bucket to the operator elevation without any bellcranks, rods, springs, etc.; and since the indicator 32 may be positioned wherever desired, the operator need not constantly watch the actual bucket position, but can glance at the indicator while giving his full attention to the actuating levers.

I claim:

1. In a tractor mounted loader of the character described, comprising a boom arm pivotally mounted on said tractor, a loader bucket pivotally supported on the outer end of said arm, a first actuating means operatively associated with said tractor and said arm to raise and lower said arm, a second actuating means pivotally connecting said arm and said bucket to eifect an angular deviation therebetween, a hydraulic indicating device comprising a bulb member for storing hydraulic fluid fixedly positioned between said arm and said bucket, a tubular indicator member positioned on said tractor, a conduit fluidly connecting said bulb member and said indicator member whereby a change in the relative position of said arm and said bucket will result in a volumetric change in said bulb to cause a flow of said fluid to or from said indicator member thus indicating the position of said bucket.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said indicator member is a transparent tube with indicia thereon.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said conduit includes flexible portions to permit bending movement of said conduit.

4. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said bulb member is a flexible-Walled sealed container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,369,235 2/1921 Funk. 1,864,876 6/1932 Westrum. 2,154,503 4/1939 French et al. 116-124 XR 2,235,279 3/1941 Bunker. 2,418,593 4/1947 Martin et al. 212-2 2,851,799 9/1958 Meents et al 37-80 3,017,046 1/1962 Runci et al. 214- 3,061,117 10/l962 Kruse. I

3,209,474 10/ 1965 Artman 37-1175 3,349,747 10/1967 Viele 116-124 FOREIGN PATENTS 466,740 11/1951 Italy.

LOUIS J CAPOZI, Primary Examiner. 

